Fictap marks 25th anniversary; holds intl cable congress

THE Federation of International Cable TV and Telecommunications Association of the Philippines (Fictap) will hold its 25th founding anniversary with the International Cable Congress and Exhibit at the Manila Hotel on March 7 to 8, 2024.

Fictap is the umbrella organization of more than 500 cable operators and technical or managerial personnel.

The 25th International Cable Congress and Exhibition will feature the premiere international partners and suppliers of all the cable television and telecommunications firms in the Philippines, as well as the most prominent leaders in the Philippine broadcast, telecommunications and communications industries.

With this year’s theme, “Fictap 25 Years of Collaboration, Cooperation, Cable and Thence Connectivity,” the congress will bring together Sopto — a prominent strategic technical partner from Shenzhen

China, television magnates GMA-7 and Cignal TV, Channel 5, and almost 30 partner exhibitors.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has often cited the importance of forming a strategic partnership with the private sector to deliver fast, efficient and economical connectivity to the countryside, as this is the backbone of business.

During the pandemic, Fictap cable operators provided the vital internet connectivity that allowed students to attend school online, elders to consult with their doctors through telemedicine, and households to safely buy their daily needs.

Fictap began as a group of 21 Mindanao cable operators under the visionary leadership of incumbent National Chairman Estrellita Juliano-Tamano.

From Mindanao, Tamano invited federation members in Cebu, and then the greater Luzon and Metro Manila area to assemble and promote the cause of smalland medium-scale cable TV operators.

“As Fictap moves on beyond its 25 years of dynamic existence and support to the Filipino people, Fictap continues to look for technological ways and means to bring faster and more cost-efficient connectivity to the remotest of mountain, agricultural and seaside communities,” the group said in a statement Thursday.